The beauty of horror movies is in their ability to either seize the audience's attention or deeply frighten them, leaving them with those memories that go beyond just entertainment. A remarkable movie, particularly horrors, can stay with the viewer after the credits are rolled, frequently due to a complement of the correct setting, storylines, and characters that are put in unwanted nightmares. 

It is through these films that all these concepts are challenged and extreme limits of what is considered safe and normal are surpassed. Here is the list of top 10 best horror films of all time:

1. The Shining (1980)

Co-authored by Stanley Kubrick, "The Shining" (1980) is the film adaptation of Isaac Stanley's book with the same title, starring Jack Nicholson in the leading role as Jack Torrance who with his family passes the hotel on duty isolated in winter. The movie deals with Jack’s increasing mental instability which is immortalized into the likes of the creepy twins in the hallway and the "Here’s Johnny!" scene. The genre combination of mental haunting and supernatural story defines this as a must-watch, and the scariest moments could prevail better with the lights on.

2. The Exorcist (1973)

The general audience is always crediting the movie with the title “the most horrific film of all time.” The plot is based on how a successful young girl, unfortunately, gets possessed by a demon and then the Exorcism. Directed by William Friedkin, this film ambiguously feeds the viewers with hidden and camouflaged fears, allowing for the fantastic sculpture of a dynamic connection between belief, especially faith and horror in a single movie script. Horror is chilling. Furthermore, one has to watch it in daytime and sometimes it is rather hard for the most fearless people as well.

3. Psycho (1960)

The film is about the travails of Marion Crane, a woman who ends up at Bates Motel, where she meets Norman Bates and unravels his hidden sins. The film conclusion in the end and the music score from Bernard Herrmann have become a heavy legacy for the horror film genre.

4. Halloween (1978)

As the very first slasher movie, "Halloween" directed by John Carpenter established the horror character of Michael Meyers who wear a mask and murders everybody. Through the scenes shot from the camera of first-person perspective, the ominous background music tones and the simple possibility that somebody else may be killed next, the movie creates a terrifying atmosphere where even viewers may appear as suspects.

5. The Bride of Frankenstein (1935)

Whale's "Bride of Frankenstein" from the very beginning of the Hollywood' golden age is a pacesetter for horror genre rather it is a tragedy/gothic horror/comedy mix of the films possessing individual movie components. Although this claim about the birth of the monster and the disappointing results was indeed a sad story, which would have been topped up by the thrilling and sensational ending would have been free from apprehension at the show.
 

6. Alien (1979)

Ridley Scott's "Alien" is a unique movie in which we will see the mixture of sci-fi and horror genres, and we will be a witness of a stream of events when a crew of spacecraft are under the threat of an alien's frightening creature inside a ship. The spatial relations of the terrific background, and the caulky gas which finally ended up in the iconic chestburster scene, sets the movie as a classic in all genres.

7. Jaws (1975) 

Steven Spielberg’s “Jaws” isn’t just about a shark; it’s about fear which you can hardly imagine present in ocean's depth. The film weaves together a character-development drama and sequences which feature appalling scenes of the shark attacking an island local community.
 

8. The Silence of the Lambs (1991).

This psychological thriller by Jonathan Demme puts us in the shoes of Jodie Foster, an FBI agent, and her manipulative counselling with a killer Cannibal Lecter. The way it is done through Hopkins' acting and film hosts Foster-Stallone dialogues such as breaking, even in the unfathomable depths.
 

9. EVIL DEAD 2 (1987)

This is a sequel with Bruce Campbell. His task and that of the rest of his colleagues is to wipe out the demons who have invaded the cabin before they get the opportunity to take over. It is a movie which is especially renowned for its copious amounts of blood and organs together with the using of slapstick humor, so this turns it into a cult class that you cannot stop watching until the end but also get light laughing.

10. Night of the Living Dead (1968)

This movie is based on zombie apocalypse.  The shooting of the low-cost movie was not only based on realism, but the director also included a strong social issue that enabled good performance of the survivors seeking refuge from the zombie threat.

Each of these films are an integral in horror film history, they do not just bring scares but also deliver very interesting storylines and cinematic techniques forever changing the legacy of film making. Regardless of whether you are a fan of classic slasher films, psychological thrillers or the supernatural kind of horror story, including the very best in chilling cinema that will keep you awake at night.